Ipswich Hospital: Private Finance Initiative

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the (a) cost, (b) date of commencement and (c) duration of each private finance initiative contract with the Garrett Anderson Centre at Ipswich Hospital.

Simon Burns: Information on all private finance initiative (PFI) schemes is published on the HM Treasury's website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pfi_signed_projects_list_march2011.xls
	The information for the (single) PFI contract at Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust for the Elizabeth Garret Anderson Treatment Centre shows:
	it has a capital cost of £36 million and reached financial close in March 2006;
	the estimated annual unitary payment from the trust to the private sector contractor was £3.2 million for 20010-11; and
	the operational period under the contract is 30 years (the new treatment centre opened in June 2008).

Departmental Correspondence

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 996W, on departmental correspondence, who he plans to invite to his proposed series of seminars on unemployment and roundtable meetings on the Big Society; and if he will invite hon. Members representing Scottish constituencies to such meetings.

Michael Moore: Invitations to the Scotland Office seminars on unemployment are agreed in collaboration with the organisations we work in partnership with in arranging the events, typically the local authority. Hon. Members are invited to seminars held in their constituencies. The invitee list for the next youth unemployment seminar, which will take place in Falkirk in November 2011, is currently being drawn up and is not yet available.
	The big society roundtable meetings take the form of small focus groups which allow a range of stakeholder organisations to inform Government of their experiences. The location for the next roundtable event has yet to be decided and the invitee list is not yet available.

Agriculture: Manpower

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what proportion of the workforce in the farming and agricultural sector is aged between 18 and 25;
	(2)  what the change in the number of 18 to 25 year olds in employment in the farming and agricultural sector (a) was in each year from May 1997 to May 2010 and (b) has been since May 2010.

James Paice: DEFRA does not hold this information.

Bats

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to protect the (a) greater and (b) lesser Horseshoe bat.

Richard Benyon: All species of bats are afforded a very high level of protection through transposition of the EU Habitats Directive into UK law; this includes making it an offence to deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat or to damage or destroy a breeding or resting site. In addition, the very best sites for populations of greater and lesser horseshoe bats have been given further protection as sites of special scientific interest and special areas of conservation. Natural England works with landowners within agri-environment schemes to enhance the environment for both the lesser and greater horseshoe bat. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural England also provide financial support to the Bat Conservation Trust to co-ordinate the National Bat Monitoring Programme, which in turn provides annual population trend data. The latest data from 2010 suggests that the population of both species is increasing steadily.

Dairy Farming

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential environmental effects of dairy farmers switching to beef production.

James Paice: DEFRA has commissioned research to understand better the environmental impacts (eg greenhouse gas emissions and diffuse pollution) of dairy and beef production systems in their own right, and on subjects (eg forage improvement and evaluation) which are generic to both systems, but not specifically on the effects of switching from dairy to beef production.
	“Change in the Air and Testing the Water”, the two parts of industry's current English Beef and Sheep Production Roadmap, discuss the sustainability of the sectors and set out some benchmarks for performance.
	The roadmp can be found at:
	http://www.eblex.org.uk/publications/corporate.aspx

Departmental Legal Opinion

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average hourly rate paid was to external (a) solicitors and (b) barristers engaged by her Department in 2010-11; what guidance her Department uses in commissioning external legal advice; and if she will publish (i) the names of each external (A) solicitor and (B) barrister engaged by her Department in 2010-11 and (ii) the sums paid in each case.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not keep a central record of hourly rates paid to external solicitors and barristers and cannot therefore provide an accurate figure for the average rates without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Where possible, DEFRA instructs barristers from the Attorney-General's panel of Counsel, which is made up of three London Panels and a Regional (non-London) Panel. The rates agreed for each panel are shown in the following table. The panel system is supplemented by the retention of two First Treasury Counsel to advise and represent Government in particularly complex and sensitive matters. The First Treasury Counsel hourly rate is also shown in the table. When a Queen’s Counsel is engaged the rate is negotiated on a case by case basis.
	
		
			 Counsel Hourly rate 
			 First Treasury Counsel £220 
			 A panel £120 
			 B panel £100 
			 C panel (1)£60 to £80 
			 Regional panel (1)£60 to £110 
			 (1) Depending on experience. 
		
	
	For non-contentious matters, the Department wherever possible instructs solicitors' firms selected from a panel. This panel has been established under a framework agreement to provide legal services to Government bodies. For litigation, the Department uses solicitors from the Litigation Catalogue wherever possible. The use of solicitors from outside the framework agreement is only permitted where there are no suitable solicitors available from the Litigation Catalogue.
	In commissioning external legal services DEFRA refers to guidance produced by the Attorney-General's Office on the use of the private sector for Government legal work. On the use of counsel, Government Legal Service (GLS) guidance, DEFRA guidance and Treasury Solicitors Guidance on purchasing external legal services is used.
	The following two tables contain details of the solicitors and barristers to whom the Department made payments in 2010-11, in bands of £50,000 (the first table) and £5,000 (the second table).
	
		
			 Amount Solicitors 
			 Less than £25,000 Bird and Co Solicitors 
			 £50,000 to £99,999 Eversheds 
			 £150,000 to £199,999 Pinsent Masons 
		
	
	
		
			 Amount Barristers 
			 Less than £25,000 Adam Birkby, Charles George, Charles Mynors, Charles Snelling, Chole Hudson, Clare Hennessy, Collin Thomann, Emma Dixon, Hamish Common, Helen Roddick, Helen Wolstenholme, Howard Shaw, James Byrne, John Jolliffe, Lee Fish, Lisa Busch, Louise Hartley, Marina Wheeler, Mark Cooper, Matthew Orr, Michael Collis, Mikhael Puar, Ned Helme, Nigel Fryer, Oliver Willmott, Philip Moser, Richard Cole, Richard Griffiths, Robert Hodgkinson, Robert Palmer, Robert Wastell, Sarah Moore, Sasha Blackmore, Sean Brunton, Simion Perkins, Stephen Tromans, Andrew Marshall, Angus McCulough QC, Elisa Holmes, Hugh Mercer, James Eadie QC, Julie Anderson, Kassie Smith, Kate Grange, Sarah Ford, Simon Phillips QC, David Anderson QC, Derrick Wyatt QC, Ian Rogers, Philip Coppel, Russell Fortt, Tim Buley, James Maurici 
			   
			 £25,000 to £29,999 Brendan McGurk, Thomas Payne, Tim Eicke 
			 £30,000 to £34,999 Iain Quirk 
			 £50,000 to £54,999 Hannah Willcocks 
		
	
	These lists are not exhaustive and could only be confirmed to be comprehensive at disproportionate cost.
	In compliance with the Government's Transparency Agenda, DEFRA has published information about payments over £25,000 on its website.
	Details of all barristers who are currently on the Attorney-General's panels are available from the Treasury Solicitor's Department website at:
	www.tsol.gov.uk/attorney_generals_panel_of_counsel.htm

Fish Farming

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of the oyster dredging industry.

Richard Benyon: The oyster industry is managed on a site by site basis and assessments are made at this level. No national research has been undertaken on the environmental impact of the oyster dredging industry.
	While overexploitation of oysters could be a contributing factor leading to declines in oyster populations in certain areas, Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities byelaws regulate the industry at a local level, ensuring it is managed sustainably.
	Impacts to the wider environment as a result of the passage of towed gear on the sea bed will vary according to the level of sensitivity of the habitat
	Peer-reviewed assessment of the specific impacts of oyster dredges is limited although evidence suggests the immediate impacts of towed gear use would likely include a reduction in the biomass of emergent epifauna and large infaunal species (should these be present), short-term resuspension of silts and the sorting of sediment particles.
	However, as oysters tend to sit oh the surface, rather than recessed (as with scallops), oyster dredges are designed to scrape the surface of the bed rather than penetrate it and are light relative to other dredges.

Fly-tipping

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of fly tipping.

Richard Benyon: The Government Review of Waste Policy in England, published in June 2011, sets out a number of measures to encourage compliance with waste legislation and ensure that the sanctions available act as a real deterrent to those responsible for waste crime, including fly tipping. At the same time the Government are taking other measures, such as the development of responsibility deals and the waste and recycling collection commitments, to make it easier for people to do the right thing with their waste.
	Government action to reduce fly tipping includes:
	(a) introducing stronger powers for local authorities and the Environment Agency to stop, search and seize vehicles suspected of involvement in waste crime;
	(b) working with local authorities and the Environment Agency to strengthen enforcement of the waste carrier regime;
	(c) considering whether fines for fly tipping are sufficient to act as a deterrent to fly tipping;
	(d) ensuring more effective intelligence sharing between DEFRA and its partners including the Environment Agency, local authorities, the police and other agencies; and
	(e) working with private landowners to increase reporting of fly tipping on their land, sharing best practice and considering the options for reducing the burden for those affected.

Pesticides

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes have been made to pesticide risk assessment for pollinators test processes since the publication of her Department's report, Are pesticide risk assessments for honeybees protective of other pollinators, in 2008.

Richard Benyon: As pesticides are subject to a European regulatory regime, Ministers are keen that these issues are addressed through collaborative working across the international arena. Since this work was published, it has been considered in an international forum (the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry) (SETAC) which is developing the pesticides risk assessment for pollinators (honeybees and non-Apis bees) with a focus on 'non-Apis bees'. This forum recognised that the risk assessment scheme for honeybees did not cover non-Apis bees, and that the risk assessment approaches, studies and associated trigger values need to be further developed. Work is also ongoing with the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD). on 'other pollinators' under the Pesticides Effects on Insect Pollinators (PEIP) initiative. Government scientists and officials are already actively engaged in these major international initiatives.
	The new pesticides marketing Regulation (Regulation 1107/2009) introduces a requirement for consideration of the impact on biodiversity and the ecosystem as part of the approval criteria for active substances, as well as other new proposed data requirements. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are to produce revised guidance on aquatic ecotoxicology (including biodiversity consequences) by 2014. Other aspects of biodiversity will be addressed as relevant guidance (eg terrestrial ecotoxicology) is revised or developed by EFSA, and the SETAC and OECD work is expected to feed into this.

Sharks

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of basking sharks in UK waters in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: The UK has not made an assessment of the basking shark population in any of the last five years.
	This is primarily due to the fact that, as the basking shark is a fish stock covered under the common fisheries policy, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is responsible for providing the European Commission and member states with scientific advice on the basking shark population on a biannual basis. We collect evidence of any strandings or by-catch of basking sharks under our domestic cetacean monitoring programmes.
	In line with the ICES advice that the basking shark is an inherently vulnerable species, and acknowledging that as fisheries have ceased, detailed information on population trends will be limited, this species is offered strong legal protection both domestically, within the European Union and Internationally.
	The basking shark is offered protection from all harm under our domestic Wildlife and Countryside Act, is a prohibited species under the common fisheries policy (preventing fishing of the species) and internationally is listed under both the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).
	We have no evidence of significant adverse impacts on the species in our waters; however If this situation changes we will look carefully at what additional measures are needed to best protect this vulnerable species.

Energy: Prices

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to require energy companies to pay the warm home discount to all their customers who are eligible to receive it as part of the core group or the broader group.

Gregory Barker: The overall spending target for the Warm Home Discount Scheme, set out in Schedule 1 of the Warm Home Discount Regulations 2011 (2011/1033), is £1.1 billion over the four years of the scheme (2011-12 to 2014-15). This represents a significant increase in activity and funding on the 2008-10 voluntary agreement between the six major energy supply companies and Government which was worth £375 million over three years.
	Energy suppliers are required by Regulation 7 of the Warm Home Discount Regulations 2011 to provide the proscribed rebate to all Core Group customers who the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), notifies them of, unless they provide an exception, as set out by the Secretary of State under Regulation 8. As a result, energy supply companies will be required to provide a rebate of £120 to all customers notified to them in the Core Group this winter. Government estimates that over 600,000 low income pensioners will be provided with a rebate this winter. As the eligibility for the Core Group is widened, so the number assisted is expected to increase over the subsequent three years of the scheme. For the Broader Group of the Warm Home Discount Scheme, suppliers have discretion over the eligibility criteria they use. They must target those in or at risk of fuel poverty and their eligibility criteria must be approved by OfGem. £3 million has been allocated for the energy suppliers to provide £120 Broader Group rebates in 2011-12. To ensure a smooth transition from the previous Voluntary Agreement, £140 million has been allocated for Legacy Spending in 2011-12, for suppliers to continue to provide discounted and social tariffs.
	The level of expenditure required under the Broader Group will increase with each scheme year. It will rise to £47 million in 2012-13, as spending on legacy tariffs decreases, and to £90 million in 2014-15.

Nuclear Energy Co-operation

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has contributed to the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Co-operation in financial year 2011-12.

Charles Hendry: The Department has made no financial contribution to the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Co-operation in FY 2011-12, an initiative which provides a forum for cooperation between member states on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The UK contributes actively to IFNEC, notably in the working groups.

Private Sector: Job Creation

Frank Dobson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that statistics to show how many of the additional jobs in the private sector that were previously in the public sector are collected.

Chloe Smith: holding answer 25 October 2011
	The independent Statistics Authority has powers to produce statistics, provide statistical services and promote statistical research.. It provides the top level of governance for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), replacing the oversight role previously performed by HM Treasury Ministers.
	HM Treasury, along with other users of statistics, may steer the work of the ONS by contributing to consultations and users groups.
	The ONS publishes quarterly statistics on public sector employment, including levels of employment in the public and private sectors. The latest release can be found at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_232222.pdf

Public Sector: Pay

Claire Perry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) male and (b) female public sector workers earning less than £21,000 per year in work forces under Ministerial control he estimates will receive a pay increase of at least £250 in 2011-12.

Danny Alexander: When considering the equalities impact of .the public sector pay freeze, the Treasury calculated the gender distribution of all public sector workers earning less than the full time equivalent of £21,000. The results, which are based on data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings published by the Office for National Statistics, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Female Male 
			 Total public sector 65.5 34.5 
			 Proportion earning less than £21,000 (Full Time Equivalent) 77.6 22.4 
			 Proportion earning more than £21,000 (Full Time Equivalent) 58.4 41.6 
		
	
	These figures suggest that a majority of those benefiting from the Government's policy of protecting those earning less than £21,000 will be female.
	The Treasury did not calculate how many workers under ministerial control earn less than £21,000 as it is not possible to separate this subset of workers from the data.

Social Mobility

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what step his Department is taking to improve social mobility; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: The Government's Social Mobility Strategy “Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility” was published in April 2011.
	As the Social Mobility Strategy set out, fairness is a fundamental value of the coalition Government. The strategy aims to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfil their potential, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.
	Through the spending review and Budgets, the Treasury has worked with other Government Departments to allocate the funds necessary for them to make progress on their commitments to social mobility.
	We are also raising the personal allowance tax threshold to £10,000. The June 2010 Budget announced a £1,000 increase in the income tax personal allowance from £6,475 in 2010-11 to £7,475 in 2011-12. A further £630 increase in the personal allowance was announced in Budget 2011, taking it to £8,105 in 2012-13. Together these increases will benefit 25 million individuals, and take 1.1 million low income individuals out of tax from April 2012.

Stocks and Shares

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure the regulation of exchange traded funds.

Mark Hoban: Exchange Traded Funds are regulated by the Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities (UCITS) Directives. UCITS provides a harmonised EU regulatory framework for collective investment schemes designed to ensure these products are appropriate for retail investors.
	The Government are aware of the recent developments in the Exchange Traded Funds industry and the concerns around the suitability of some of these products for retail investors. The Government believes that it is important for the UCITS brand that products sold under the UCITS Directive are suitable for retail investors. We are working closely with the Financial Services Authority and Bank of England to analyse the risks associated with these products and consider what regulatory responses may be necessary.

Taxation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to modernise and simplify the tax system.

David Gauke: The Government are taking action to modernise and simplify the tax system. A modern tax system should be efficient, predictable, simple, and fair. The Government have made a number of improvements to the way in which they make tax policy, with consultation on policy design and scrutiny of draft legislative proposals as the cornerstones, further details may be found online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/tax_policy_making_new_approach.htm
	Specific steps to modernise the tax system include greater use of online filing by HM Revenue and Customs, and publication of the Government's Corporate Tax Road Map, which is accessible online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/corporate_tax_reform.htm
	In this document the Government have set out how it is reforming the business tax system to reflect the way that companies operate in a global marketplace.
	The Government established the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) on 20 July 2010 to provide independent advice on simplifying the UK tax system. Following the OTS review of the number and complexity of tax reliefs, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced in Budget 2011 his decision to abolish 43 tax reliefs. As part of the second stage of its review of small business tax, the OTS will look at improving tax administration for small business, with recommendations to the Government for Budget 2012.

Drugs: Misuse

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the effectiveness of the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and what plans her Department has to draw up another drugs strategy following the drugs strategy it published in 2010.

James Brokenshire: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), receives numerous correspondence on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drugs are illegal under the Act because they are harmful—they destroy lives and cause untold misery to families and communities.
	The Government's 2010 Drug Strategy is much more ambitious in its approach to drugs under three overarching aims to reduce demand, restrict supply and build recovery in communities. We are committed to review the strategy annually. The first review will be published in March 2012. The current strategy will continue until 2014-15.

Police: Manpower

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) specialist domestic violence units and (b) full-time equivalent staff working in specialist domestic violence units there were in each region in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and how many such (A) units and (B) staff were budgeted for in (1) 2012-13, (2) 2013-14 and (3) 2014-15; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 24 October 2011
	The Home Office does not collect information on Specialist Domestic Violence units.
	Specialist Domestic Violence Units are normally based within public protection units in police stations. However, it is for individual police forces to decide whether they have a unit and, if they do, that resources are allocated to it.

Police: Olympic Games 2012

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) police community support officers she expects to be operating in London during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Nick Herbert: I understand from the Metropolitan Police Service that it estimates that a maximum of 9,000 police officers will be needed for Games-related duties in London on days of peak demand during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) will continue to work across London during the Games period.
	The overall number of police officers and PCSOs active in London during the summer of 2012 is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Commissioner for the City of London Police, and the relevant police authorities.

Terrorism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested for offences related to terrorism with a connection to (a) Islamic extremism, (b) far right extremism and (c) dissident Irish republican groups in each year since 1997.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office publishes statistics on arrests and outcomes under the Terrorism Act 2000 (Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and Subsequent Legislation: Arrests, Outcomes and Stops and Searches). The relevant statistical bulletin does not record statistics in the way requested, however, data in the current edition of the bulletin does show a breakdown of arrests into International, Domestic and Northern Ireland related terrorism. This data is only recorded from 2005-06 to 2010-11.
	Table 1.07 of the current edition of the statistical bulletin (Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and Subsequent Legislation: Arrests, Outcomes and Stops and Searches—published on 13 October 2011) records these offences as follows:
	
		
			 Arrests and charges Arrested: Number or persons 
			 Domestic(1) 138 
			 Northern Ireland related(2) 47 
			 International(3) 1,004 
			 Not classified 32 
			 Grand total 1,221 
			 (1) Far right extremism is recorded in this category. (2) Dissident Republican Groups is recorded in this category. (3) Islamic terrorism is recorded in this category. 
		
	
	Offences under the domestic category refer to terrorist activity where there are no links to either Northern Ireland related or international terrorism.
	Offences under the Internationals category refers to activity by an individual or a group of individuals linked to terrorist groups that are based outside the UK, who operate in and from third countries.
	A link to the latest edition of this publication is provided as follows:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorism-statistics/hosb1511/hosb1511?view=Binary

Social Enterprises

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had about promoting social enterprises within his Department's area of responsibility in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: Information on a significant number of meetings between myself and external organisations; including charities, social enterprises and large and small and medium enterprises is available on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/Our-organisation/Ministers
	This information covers meetings held since May 2010.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department expects to provide to Zimbabwe in 2011-12.

Andrew Mitchell: By 2015, we plan to have: created 125,000 new jobs, provided almost 1 million more people with access to clean water, helped 80,000 more children to complete five years of education and given over 700,000 more women access to family planning.
	This assistance is delivered through trusted partners such as UNICEF and the African Development Bank; none of it passes through the Government of Zimbabwe.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) plans to provide £80 million of assistance in 2011-12 which will support a range of development programmes that directly benefit the poorest and most vulnerable Zimbabweans.

Arts: Broadband

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential contribution to the creative industries of a high-speed broadband infrastructure in the UK.

Edward Vaizey: There has not been a formal assessment by this Department of the potential contribution of high-speed broadband to the creative industries. However, it is the demand for rich content, delivered quickly and reliably, that is in part driving the uptake of faster broadband, and this will in turn enable the creative sectors to provide the content people want in ever more innovative and attractive ways.
	NESTA estimates that the provision of universal super-fast broadband could directly create 600,000 new jobs, with £18 billion added to GDP. The indirect effects could be far larger. California is an economy approximately the size of the UK—it has been estimated that ultra-fast broadband installation there could add $366 billion to economic output and create two million new jobs.

Museums and Galleries: Tees Valley

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has considered taking steps to protect museums in Teesside that are under threat of closure arising from local authority spending reductions.

Edward Vaizey: Decisions on the funding of local authority museums are made at the discretion of local authorities, and central Government cannot prescribe how these decisions might be made. However, the Teesside museums receive funding through the Renaissance in the Regions programme, central Government's major funding programme for regional museums.
	Until 2010-11, the Teesside museums received funding as part of the Hartlepool Museums' North East Renaissance Hub. This funding stream has now ended but the museums will continue to receive funding during 2011-12 as part of the transition to the new model of Renaissance funding which will come into place in April 2012.
	From 2012-13 Renaissance funding will continue to contribute to Teesside museums through museum development support, national projects, and they will be eligible to apply for museum's strategic funds.
	The Arts Council, in its museum development role, will work with local authorities to try and ensure people in the Tees valley have access to great museums. In addition, the Arts Council will continue to fund Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art as a National Portfolio Organisation.

UK Film Council: Apprentices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many apprentices are working in the UK film industry.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not hold this information, although we are aware of the successful apprenticeship scheme run by Pinewood Film studios. From statistics collated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), we are aware that in 2009-10, 30 people started apprenticeships in the 'Creative and Digital Media' apprenticeship framework. Apprenticeship data held by BIS is collected and reported by apprenticeship framework rather than sector.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many maritime assets were utilised from each platform during Operation Telic in each year between 2005 and 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The number of individual maritime assets, by platform, deployed in the Gulf region over the years 2005 to 2010 are given in the following table. The units would have had a number of tasks at different times including Operation TELIC, supporting our international partners as part of our contribution to Gulf security, and counter piracy activities.
	
		
			  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Carrier 0 1 3 1 0 0 
			 T42 Destroyer 2 1 1 2 0 0 
			 T23 Frigate 3 5 4 8 7 6 
			 172 Frigate 2 0 2 3 2 2 
			 MCMV(1) 0 3 3 5 5 4 
			 LPH(2) 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 LPD(3) 1 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Survey Vessel 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 RFA(4)—Supply Ship 0 0 l 1 0 1 
			 RFA—Fast Fleet Tanker 1 1 1 2 3 1 
			 RFA—Forward Repair 1 1 0 1 1 1 
			 RFA—Landing Ship Dock 0 0 1 1 2 1 
			 PCRF(5) 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 (1) Mine Counter Measure Vessel. (2) Landing Platform Helicopter. (3) Landing Platform Dock. (4) Royal Fleet Auxiliary. (5) Primary Casualty Receiving Facility. 
		
	
	Fleet submarines were also deployed periodically in the Gulf region.

Probation: Manpower

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many qualified assistant chief probation officers were employed in each probation trust (a) on the most recent date for which figures are available, (b) in 2008-09, (c) in 2009-10 and (d) in 2010-11;
	(2)  how many administrative and clerical staff were employed in each probation trust (a) on the most recent date for which figures are available, (b) in 2008-09, (c) in 2009-10 and (d) in 2010-11;
	(3)  how many qualified (a) probation officers and (b) probation service officers were employed in each probation trust on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The figures requested are provided in the following tables.
	Figures are not available on the number of qualified probation officers performing an assistant chief officer role. Figures provided for assistant chief officers therefore relate to all assistant chief officers.
	All probation areas became probation trusts by 1 April 2010; this included a number of areas merging to become trusts. Two tables have therefore been provided that show snapshots of staff in post before and after the mergers. Surrey and Sussex submitted merged data one month before their merger; figures provided for them for 2009-10 are therefore merged.
	Data was unavailable for some areas/trusts within the periods in question due to local technical/staffing issues. Where there is missing data, the latest available figures they submitted at that point in time have been included within the relevant year. This is applicable to Cheshire (September 2008 figures included within the 2008-09 figures); West Mercia (November 2009 figures included within the 2009-10 figures); Derbyshire (March 2011 figures included within the 2011-12 figures).
	
		
			 Staff in post 2008-09 and 2009-10 (pre-area mergers) 
			  Assistant chief officers Administrative and clerical staff Probation officers Probation services officers 
			 Trust 2008-09 2009-10 2008-09 2009-10 2008-09 2009-10 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Avon and Somerset 5.90 7.90 125.7 122.30 178.2 163.3 157.1 152.30 
			 Bedfordshire 5.00 3.00 36.57 35.95 63.09 61.04 44.88 47.47 
			 Cambridgeshire 5.00 4.00 58.39 49.15 105.2 105 56.47 54.88 
			 Cheshire 6.80 6.80 87.03 80.41 115.02 111.49 118.03 108.99 
			 Cumbria 3.00 2.00 42.31 39.96 60.1 61.9 41.1 40.10 
			 Derbyshire 4.00 4.00 107.4 88.90 138.8 115.3 130.4 113.40 
			 Devon and Cornwall 6.10 4.00 114.01 92.52 193.42 179.57 88.06 87.19 
			 Dorset 3.00 2.90 53.5 49.20 70.7 70.6 79.5 74.00 
			 Durham 4.68 3.68 54.96 50.79 105.4 107.1 83.21 86.21 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0.00 0.00 49.79 43.09 46.9 43.9 57.63 44.62 
			 Essex 9.80 8.00 121.34 120.62 106.05 101.3 207.92 205.81 
			 Gloucestershire 5.36 3.85 50.29 53.02 50.9 52.11 40.15 32.40 
			 Greater Manchester 14.00 18.00 316.02 327.13 480.56 450.56 286.38 258.88 
			 Gwent 4.00 5.00 67.48 66.73 89.44 85.94 62.7 61.73 
			 Hampshire 0.00 0.00 149.54 129.54 191.1 196.68 188.19 172.44 
			 Hertfordshire 6.00 4.00 58.25 52.89 82.89 79.39 86.7 78.69 
			 Humberside 7.41 5.81 120.48 114.22 158.84 152.02 126.8 111.90 
			 Kent 6.00 5.00 105.21 102.05 161.26 141.72 142.18 101.29 
			 Lancashire 6.00 2.00 113.46 110.14 236.8 219.83 132.14 109.63 
			 Leicestershire 9.02 7.00 109.3 105.75 157.34 158.27 186.37 173.19 
			 Lincolnshire 5.00 4.00 61.88 51.41 72.08 64.88 66.02 66.55 
			 London 35.00 45.00 646.83 1058.09 983.06 1017.37 864.19 329.12 
			 Merseyside 0.00 8.00 172.45 179.76 257.57 265.51 223.26 192.55 
			 Norfolk 4.00 3.00 35.75 31.96 93.05 86.16 138.93 123.40 
			 North Wales 3.00 3.00 62.89 60.31 80.22 90.23 50.86 50.44 
			 North Yorkshire 4.00 4.00 55.81 43.19 79.95 241.03 68.35 39.71 
			 Northamptonshire 4.00 5.00 49.96 47.64 83.32 80.4 96.83 93.38 
			 Northumbria 13.00 13.00 142.76 128.09 270.57 72.15 179.29 179.34 
			 Nottinghamshire 0.00 5.00 155.06 139.57 177.28 174.27 116.51 108.48 
			 South Wales 1.00 3.00 146.65 130.33 197.55 161.79 177.54 160.04 
			 South Yorkshire 10.80 11.00 128.78 129.60 224.13 202.34 182.84 176.14 
			 Staffordshire 0.00 0.00 132.35 113.87 158.5 115.34 91.64 71.44 
			 Suffolk 5.75 4.75 39.83 34.66 91.35 85.29 71.58 67.63 
			 Surrey 3.43 — 72.38 — 71.24 — 84.35 — 
			 Surrey and Sussex (merged data) — 8.80 — 143.20 — 211.51 — 100.73 
			 Sussex 5.80 — 83.9 — 146.6 — 123.69 — 
			 Teesside 4.00 4.00 62.4 60.83 128.08 122.99 98.07 81.60 
			 Thames Valley 6.00 6.00 161.24 156.93 218.9 210.73 253.94 214.41 
			 Warwickshire 6.00 6.00 31.11 29.57 61.24 61.05 38.76 44.33 
			 West Midlands 16.60 18.61 444.72 428.49 467.59 135.46 415.99 394.74 
			 West Mercia 6.00 6.00 103.18 107.37 138.22 436.6 104.16 92.58 
			 West Yorkshire 14.00 8.00 321.3 291.02 359.29 341.3 297.42 287.72 
			 Wiltshire 4.60 3.49 47.81 43.35 62.22 53.01 44.09 40.07 
			 Total 263.05 266.59 5100.07 5243.60 7214.02 6886.43 6104.22 5029.52 
		
	
	
		
			 Staff in post 2010-11 and 2011-12 (post-area mergers) 
			  Assistant Chief Officers Administrative and clerical staff Probation officers Probation services officers 
			 Trust 2010  -  11 2011  -  12 2010  -  11 2011  -  12 2010  -  11 2011  -  12 2010  -  11 2011  -  12 
			 Avon and Somerset 8.90 8.90 112.50 116.20 155.60 149.60 160.20 163.30 
			 Bedfordshire 5.00 5.00 35.37 44.33 55.55 53.85 48.89 50.34 
			 Cambridgeshire 4.60 5.00 48.88 46.90 109.86 107.20 54.61 54.40 
			 Cheshire 6.80 6.80 74.91 76.17 116.12 116.55 90.28 88.89 
			 Cumbria 2.00 3.00 40.55 41.55 57.90 56.30 37.30 46.91 
			 Derbyshire 4.00 4.00 73.20 73.20 109.30 109.30 113.50 113.50 
			 Devon and Cornwall 4.00 4.00 85.11 86.13 171.35 131.29 80.19 116.82 
			 Dorset 3.00 4.00 48.60 44.80 66.70 61.30 72.00 71.00 
			 Durham Tees Valley 8.37 8.37 95.89 93.81 219.30 215.54 163.28 162.62 
			 Essex 8.00 8.00 132.42 129.71 104.90 103.60 202.86 197.55 
			 Gloucestershire 1.85 1.85 42.43 43.69 48.53 47.53 28.55 27.94 
			 Greater Manchester 16.00 14.00 284.20 276.13 440.46 434.05 224.48 225.72 
			 Hampshire 0.00 0.00 117.51 130.63 188.41 194.20 164.49 168.12 
			 Hertfordshire 5.00 5.00 50.98 55.60 78.68 75.58 84.26 80.54 
			 Humberside 3.00 3.00 102.44 96.84 149.40 140.70 106.18 100.12 
			 Kent 4.40 5.40 104.19 104.70 138.48 138.19 103.02 131.23 
			 Lancashire 6.00 6.00 105.51 103.81 221.21 218.25 112.05 114.86 
			 Leicestershire 7.60 7.60 98.37 95.59 148.74 147.53 170.92 167.51 
			 Lincolnshire 5.00 5.00 50.21 48.40 68.63 65.97 63.49 61.80 
			 London 44.00 44.80 1061.94 1060.29 1006.01 989.64 367.24 342.99 
			 Merseyside 8.00 7.00 169.35 168.77 261.13 258.15 192.53 190.55 
			 Norfolk and Suffolk 6.75 6.00 97.69 95.75 169.51 168.86 149.24 151.13 
			 Northamptonshire 3.00 3.00 45.30 45.91 86.16 83.46 90.39 93.30 
			 Northumbria 11.91 11.91 134.63 136.07 228.33 231.43 168.19 167.69 
			 Nottinghamshire 6.03 6.00 122.54 124.43 168.23 170.01 115.91 117.19 
			 South Yorkshire 11.99 10.99 73.10 71.02 248.26 240.04 171.46 166.66 
			 Staffordshire and West Midlands 18.11 16.11 530.39 521.23 561.00 556.21 470.09 470.06 
			 Surrey and Sussex 7.30 7.50 146.92 151.02 202.35 203.53 100.00 106.11 
			 Thames Valley 5.00 5.00 148.03 147.84 207.98 203.41 199.96 198.06 
			 Wales 13.00 12.00 268.64 262.53 369.16 365.30 304.74 305.07 
			 Warwickshire 4.00 4.00 32.58 33.12 59.52 59.52 41.46 41.81 
			 West Mercia 4.00 4.00 95.82 95.31 118.97 116.41 93.39 91.85 
			 West Yorkshire 7.00 6.88 316.82 316.77 326.67 315.35 306.50 283.88 
			 Wiltshire 3.49 3.49 47.82 47.62 52.45 52.39 27.06 27.20 
			 York and North Yorkshire 4.00 4.00 55.70 53.53 79.65 76.76 59.13 58.74 
			 Total 261.10 257.60 5050.54 5039.40 6794.50 6657.00 4937.84 4955.46

Public Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of public service mutuals in its area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice is actively exploring opportunities to encourage public service mutuals across its services.
	All such opportunities are being considered within the context of our strategic approach to competition injustice services, as set out in the Offender Services Competition Strategy(1).
	(1 )http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports/moj/oscs.htm

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish the (a) cost, (b) date of commencement and (c) duration of each private finance initiative contract managed by his Department.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has one private finance initiative (PFI) contract which is for the provision of residential training accommodation and serviced office accommodation at Sunningdale Park, Ascot for the National School of Government. This was signed on 23 April 2002. Information on signed PFI projects that were signed prior to 16 March 2011 is available on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_pfi_stats.htm
	In addition to listing the project name and responsible Department the information available includes (a) the capital value of the asset and associated unitary charge payments, (b) the date of financial close and (c) the operational period of the contract.
	In addition to the Sunningdale Park contract, the Cabinet Office has a contract for ICT services which, although not a PFI contract under the Treasury definition, is treated as if it is a PFI contract in the Cabinet Office annual published accounts. Details of the contract are on page 223, notes 29.1 and 29.2, of the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2010-11, available in the House of Commons library and from the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/resource-accounts-2010-11.pdf
	This was signed in June 2007.

Former Prime Ministers: Allowances

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how much each former Prime Minister claimed under the public duty costs allowance in each of the last five years;
	(2)  if he will review the (a) limit and (b) criteria of the public duty costs allowance for former Prime Ministers for the purposes of aligning the scheme with policy on administrative savings in Government Departments.

Francis Maude: holding answer 26 October 2011
	The amount claimed by each Prime Minister under the Public Duty Cost allowance for the last five years is listed in the following tables.
	The tables set out how much was claimed for that year. The date the actual payment was made may not be in the same year that the claim relates to.
	
		
			 2006-07 
			  £ 
			 John Major 87,276.00 
			 Margaret Thatcher 96,003.00 
			 Total 183,279.00 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 
			  £ 
			 John Major 90,504.96 
			 Margaret Thatcher 99,554.00 
			 Total 190,058.96 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 
			  £ 
			 John Major 100,204.92 
			 Margaret Thatcher 110,225.00 
			 Tony Blair 169,076.02 
			 Total 379,505.94 
		
	
	
		
			 2009-10 
			  £ 
			 John Major 103,812.00 
			 Margaret Thatcher 114,193.20 
			 Tony Blair 103,812.00 
			 Total 321,817.20 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  £ 
			 Gordon Brown 83,718.30 
			 Margaret Thatcher 115,045.00 
			 John Major 109,125.00 
			 Total 307,888.30 
		
	
	The Public Duties Cost Allowance is kept under review.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount and (c) supplier was of each transaction undertaken by Buying Solutions using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Francis Maude: Transactions undertaken by Government Procurement Service (formally Buying Solutions) in 2009-10 have been tabulated for ease of reference and deposited in the Library of the House.
	The cost of work required to obtain, contextualise and report the data for Government Procurement Service for 2007-08 and 2008-09 would exceed the cost limits of a freedom of information request or a parliamentary question.
	Government Procurement Service will be publishing any transactions over £500 on its website, starting with 2011-12 quarter 1 (April-June) and quarter 2 (July-September) data at the end of October and then on a monthly basis.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount and (c) supplier was of each transaction undertaken by his Department using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Francis Maude: This Government are committed to transparency and we believe the information regarding Government Procurement Cards for this financial year is the most relevant. Central Government Departments have just published any transactions over £500 on their websites, for 2011-12 Quarter 1 (April-June) data. From now on these will be published on a monthly basis.
	The Cabinet Office plans to publish 2009-10 data later in the financial year. The further cost of work required to obtain, contextualise and report data for Cabinet Office for 2008-09 and 2007-08 would exceed the cost limits of a Freedom of Information request of a parliamentary question.

Departmental Buildings

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects his Department plans in (i) the current and (ii) the next financial year; and what the cost will be of each such project.

Chris Grayling: The Department occupies the vast majority of its properties under the terms of a 20-year PFI contract with Telereal Trillium, for which it pays a unitary charge in return for fully fitted and serviced accommodation.
	The unitary charge includes works carried out over the life cycle of the accommodation which contain an element of refurbishment that cannot be disaggregated from overall expenditure.
	Some refurbishments are not covered by the unitary charge and are funded separately as capital expenditure. This is because it would not be practical or demonstrate value for money for the taxpayer if the contractor were to price into the unitary charge the potential business change volumes.
	Any business-driven changes to the estate would fall into this category such as in 2010-11, for example, when Jobcentre Plus initiated the Response to the Economic Downturn project, which converted primarily back of the house space to temporary front of the house space in order to support more jobseekers.
	
		
			  £ million Change (percentage) 
			 2009-10 56.9 — 
			 2010-11 17.5 -69.2 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 5.042 -71.2 
		
	
	The value of all completed or approved for construction building and refurbishment expenditure not covered by the unitary charge for financial year 2011-12 is £5.042 million, a 91% decrease on that for 2009-10. This covered a total of 52 projects. Full details are as follows.
	The 52 projects are proposed and funded by the business unit e.g. Jobcentre Plus. The business holds the funding and makes the decisions as to which projects are business critical within the funding envelope it holds. The business makes bid submissions for this funding based on its change programme requirements.
	The Department has yet to agree future plans regarding changes to its service delivery and any consequent impact on the estate, therefore changes to the existing estate beyond the current financial year will be considered when such requirements are known and understood.
	
		
			 Building and Refurbishment Projects 
			 Building name Project name Cost (£) 
			 Duchy House, 96 Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 1HE Office re-fig 29,365.98 
			 Companies House, Companies House, Cardiff, CF14 3UW Cardiff, Companies Hse—Relocation of 4(th) Flr 22,568.12 
			 Ontario House, 2 Furness Quay, Salford, M50 3XZ Relocation of staff ( Building to be vacated) 20,758.99 
			 Ranger House, 2(nd) and 3(rd) Floors, Guildford, GU1 4US Guildford—Ranger House—Decants from and Vacation of Ranger Hse 13,180.99 
			 Norcross Lane—Block 6 Norcross Lane, Thornton Cleveleys, FY5 3TA DAPS Studio 11,671.46 
			 Gregson House, 2 Central Street, St Helens, WA10 1UF Maximise BDC Capacity 2,450.00 
			 Bridge House, 28 Wheldon Road, Castleford, WF10 2JG Castleford Wheldon Road—MEC Alteration Works 458,245.78 
			 Henry Giles House, 73-79 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, CB4 3BQ Henry Giles House, Cambridge—MEC Relocation Option 2B 264,114.78 
			 Pedmore House, Waterfront East—Level Street, Dudley, DY5 1XA Pedmore House, Dudley—Relocate Staff from Quay House 253,412.18 
			 Quarry House—Main Bldg, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UA Leeds Quarry House—Works to Library 1NW 106,272.56 
			 Eaton House, Eaton Court, Reading, RG1 7LL Reading—Eaton House—MEC 89,912.67 
			 Crown Building, Lincoln Lane, Boston, PE21 8SJ Crown Building, Boston—MSEC Exp—Convert existing JCP BoH office area 82,534.47 
			 Rutland Centre, Yeoman Street, Leicester, LE1 1UU Ruland Centre, Leicester—MSEC Expan—Create 2 Additional Examination R 60,311.40 
			 Albion House, Northway, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO12 7AN Scarborough Albion House—Main Project 43,665.24 
			 Pearson Buildings, 57-59 Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 6AZ Pearson Building, Nottingham—Concertina Room Divider 22,092.00 
		
	
	
		
			 Kings Court, 80 Hanover Way, Sheffield, S3 7UF Sheffield Kings Court—Modify G Flr for Universal Credit Team Move to Site 21,073.65 
			 Melbourne House, Melbourne Street/Eastgate, Accrington, BB5 6PU Schedule 28 costs ground floor 18,090.88 
			 Five Ways House, Islington Row, Birmingham, B15 1SL Five Ways House, Birmingham—Landlords Costs from JCP Rollout 10,000.00 
			 Wellesley House, 30 Wellington Road North, Stockport, SK4 1LS Create open plan floor space for 150+ work stations on 1(st) and 3(rd) floors 500.00 
			 Quarry House—Main Bldg, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UA Leeds Quarry House—Installation of CHP SALIX Grant 472,713.21 
			 (York DIE) 1 Leeds City Office Park, 1(st) and 2(nd) and 3(rd) Floors, Leeds LS11 5BD Leeds City One Office Park—Ground Floor Final Solution 1,250,268.35 
			 Quarry House - Main Bldg, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UA Leeds Quarry House—Pathfinder Phase 2 Flexible Working Budget 513,967.00 
			 Moorfoot, Moorfoot, Sheffield Sheffield Moorfoot—Migration of Staff/churn/re space planning 337,178.00 
			 Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street/38 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH3 9SJ Relocation of DWP staff from Argyle House and Fit Out of new Building 213,929.48 
			 High Riggs Job Centre, 20 High Riggs , Edinburgh, EH3 7HU Relocation of Argyle House Payment Facility 135,974.70 
			 Caxton House, Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NA Caxton House—Resilience upgrade to Comms room 65,200.00 
			 Caxton House, Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NA London-Caxton House-Install stand alone A/C unit VC room 3.44 59,699.96 
			 Peel Park Industrial Estate-Bldg 1, Brunel Way, Blackpool, FY4 5ES Supply and fit Glass pods g/f phase 1 58,650.89 
			 Broadlands House, Staplers Road, Newport, PO30 2HX IOW—Newport—Broadlands House—HMRC 51,394.52 
			 Tamarisk House, 1 Cotlands Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH1 3BG Bournemouth—Tamarisk House—MEC 43,097.42 
			 Nutwood House, Military Road, Canterbury, CT1 1ZZ Canterbury—Nutwood House—Creation of Examination Rooms 38,074.66 
			 Great Oaks House, Great Oaks, Basildon, SS14 1JE Great Oaks House, Basildon—Create a Disabled Shower Facility 36,548.20 
			 Building 301, Birchwood Park, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 6XF Birchwood Park Agile areas 34,056.75 
			 Forester House, Becket Street, Derby, DE1 1NW Forester House, Derby—Reconfigure FOH area on Ground Floor 26,420.98 
			 Red Rose House, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 1NS Office re-fig 24,600.00 
			 Eastgate House, 35-43 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 0YP Cardiff, Eastgate House—Works to 1(st) and 2(nd) Floors 23,762.55 
		
	
	
		
			 Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8HN London- Fox Court—4(th) floor 3 in 1 19,720.00 
			 Quarry House—Main Bldg, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UA Leeds Quarry house—Flexible working proposal Phase 2 18,400.00 
			 Knollys House, 17 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 6SR Croydon—Knollys Hse—Access Control System 15,681.21 
			 Equinox, Island Business Quarter, Nottingham, NG2 4UU Equinox House, Nottingham—Reorganisation of Ground, First and Second Floor 12,708.13 
			 Summerlock House, Summerlock Approach, Salisbury, SP2 7RW Salisbury—Summerlock House—Conference Room 10,037.52 
			 Norcross Lane - Block 7, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3TA VC Suite upgrade 9,111.95 
			 Crown Buildings, Laneham Street, Scunthorpe, DN15 6JT Scunthorpe Crown Buildings—HMRC Works 2nd Floor 8,338.19 
			 York House, 31-36 York Place, Leeds, LS1 2ED Leeds York House—Removal of Wall 5,051.15 
			 Quarry House—Main Bldg, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UA Leeds Quarry House—VC Equipment Upgrade 5,157.03 
			 Cannon Court, High Street, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 9AQ Lymington - Cannon Court—GIS Room 4,843.78 
			 Equinox, Island Business Quarter, Nottingham, NG2 4UU Equinox House, Nottingham—Window Film Works 3,919.43 
			 Quarry House—Main Bldg, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UA Leeds Quarry House—Reprographics Planning 3,310.89 
			 Griffin House, Bryn Road, Wigan, WN4 8SS Telephony and Processing Implementation Project—Temporary Screens 2,924.59 
			 Griffin House, Bryn Road, Wigan, WN4 8SS Telephony and Processing Implementation Project—Temporary Screens 2,117.88 
			 Steel City House, Steel City House West Street, Sheffield, S1 2GQ Sheffield Steel City House—European Social Fund Flagpoles 4,698.40 
			 Quarry House—Main Bldg, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UA Leeds Quarry House—Relocation of Library 978.69 
			 Total — 5,042,756.66 
		
	
	Leeds Quarry House
	Works to library 1NW (£106,272): Refurbishment of the former library to accommodate the Department for Health (DOH). The works are funded by DOH via DWP to ensure fast track delivery.
	London Caxton House
	Install stand alone A/C unit VC room 3.44 (£59,699): Installation of stand alone A/C unit with local controls in video conference room 3.44. The A/C unit was installed to keep the room at a suitable temperature for the equipment and for a maximum of eight people all day.
	Norcross Lane
	VC suite upgrade (£9,111): New suspended ceiling and lighting, carpet and decoration, removal of asbestos ceiling (ARTEX) to facilitate the works.
	Leeds Quarry House
	VC equipment upgrade (£5,157): National role out for the installation of video conferencing. Includes minor room alterations, re-decoration and furniture to comply with client's requirements.
	Leeds Quarry House
	Reprographics planning (£3,310): Installation of additional reprographic machines to minimise costs for photocopying and alike.
	Sheffield Steel City House
	European Social Fund flagpoles (£4,698): Due to relocation of European Social Services into this building two flagpoles were erected outside Steel City House. Flags required were the Union, EU and St George's. We are seeking full reimbursement of the cost of the flag pole from ESF technical assistance money, so the cost will fall to the EU.
	Leeds Quarry House
	Relocation of library (£978): this is linked to the above project (1NW) and as such work is on the behalf of the DOH. This was the structural survey of the area to accommodate the library to ensure it was structurally compliant.

Departmental Lost Property

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what actions are at his disposal to take against an employee of his Department who loses a laptop issued by his Department.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions takes data security very seriously. The Department can exercise a range of actions against employees who lose laptops. These range from imposing disciplinary warnings and sanctions to dismissal.
	The DWP Standards of Behaviour policy requires staff to look after departmental equipment and ensure there is no loss or damage. Disciplinary action is taken against employees who breach security policy.
	Since 2007 we have improved data handing procedures, including minimising the amount of data put on removable media, encryption programmes for data and mobile devices that carry personal protected data, and introduced training and education programmes to improve staff awareness of information risks.

Departmental Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account his Department takes of (a) socio-economic factors and (b) potential revenues for the Exchequer in the awarding of contracts.

Chris Grayling: The Department considers socio-economic factors in the initial stages of contracting using Sustainable Procurement Risk Assessment Methodology which considers the impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), opportunities for apprenticeships, the implications for diversity and equality as well as for climate change and sustainability. Where relevant and proportionate, appropriate contractual terms are included at contract award to monitor supplier performance in these areas during contract delivery.
	The Department has a policy that supports the UK social and economic agenda by ensuring that DWP jobs are not offshored. In addition the Department's policy also requires that any supplier, either when tendering for contracts or wishing to make changes to arrangements during the life of a contract, has to submit detailed proposals and gain DWP written approval if they have any intention of offshoring work or data.
	DWP supports the Government target of 25% of Government spend via SMEs by 2015. SMEs are considered to have more potential for growth and are more likely to be innovative in contract delivery. The effect of this policy is more employment leading to an increase in taxation revenue for the Exchequer and a reduction in benefit payment.
	The Department's commercial strategy commits to improving Value For Money (VFM) through cost reduction and cost avoidance activity. In line with Cabinet Office policy, pre audit VFM savings for the financial year 2010-11 were £432 million of which £180 million were cash releasing and £252 million related to VFM activity.
	The Department leads on the introduction of frameworks which improve VFM for other Government Departments (OGDs) and also leads on cross-government VFM activity through its Crown Commercial Representative.
	The use of DWP assets by OGDs also saves substantial resources, for example resource management (RM) system which delivers strategic resource management solutions for the Department and OGDs and the customer information system (CIS), an intelligent IT database which generates significant VFM for the Department and OGDs.
	The Department retains ownership of intellectual property rights as part of the standard legal terms and conditions used when contracting. This enables revenue to be generated for the Exchequer (or contract costs reduced) on occasions where it is appropriate for intellectual property rights to be sold. While not directly linked to contracts it awards, the Department also considers raising revenue for the Exchequer by using the Wider Markets Initiative to generate income from its assets, where appropriate.

Universal Credit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to pilot the universal credit; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Universal credit will be introduced in October 2013, and individuals will be migrated to the new system over the subsequent four years. Experience of previous reforms and transformation programmes has shown that thorough operational testing is essential prior to a wide ranging implementation. As such we will deploy this 'pathfinder' approach on the universal credit programme. We will do so in good time to ensure lessons learnt can be incorporated into wider implementation plans and delivery processes.
	Additionally, as part of the work to build the new system, claimants are being engaged in its design through frequent sessions in which they are asked to respond to both high level design thinking and detailed service design. There will be significant levels of testing specifically focused on ensuring that the various components work effectively together, including realistic business testing.

Advantage West Midlands: Wolverhampton

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what representations he has received from Advantage West Midlands on the (a) i54 site, Wolverhampton and (b) the potential location of Jaguar Land Rover's new engine plant at the i54 site since his appointment;
	(2)  when the land for the i54 site, Wolverhampton was acquired by Advantage West Midlands;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the (a) funding and (b) time allocated by Advantage West Midlands to remediating the i54 site, Wolverhampton (i) before and (ii) after the announcement of the abolition of the regional development agencies;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the role of Advantage West Midlands in negotiations with Jaguar Land Rover on locating its new engine plant at the i54 site, Wolverhampton.

Mark Prisk: BIS officials are in regular contact with the regional development agencies (RDA), including Advantage West Midlands (AWM), on a range of matters and issues, and these may include matters relating to individual project issues like the i54.
	The land for the i54 site in Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire was progressively acquired between 2002 and 2007 by AWM, working with a range of local partners including Wolverhampton city council. The site transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) on 19 September under the Housing & Regeneration Act. AWM has been involved in the remediation and wider site works which have been under way since the initial acquisition of the site in March 2002, including securing outline planning permission for the site. AWM spent £52 million out of a BIS approval of £64 million up to the point of the announcement to abolish the RDA. A further £4.5 million was earmarked for additional remedial works between the announcement of the abolition of the RDA and the site's transfer to the HCA.
	I have not made an assessment of AWM's role in negotiations with Jaguar Land Rover which resulted in the company's decision to locate its new engine plant at the i54 site. The decision by Jaguar Land Rover to locate its engine plant at the i54 site in Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire was facilitated by a range of national, regional and local stakeholders.

Apprentices

James Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made in achieving the Government's objectives for apprenticeships.

John Hayes: This Government are committed to expansion of its flagship apprenticeships programme. The Statistical First Release published today demonstrates fantastic growth and a record year for apprenticeships. Provisional data for the full 2010/11 academic year shows 442,700 starts and completions reaching 171,500.

Apprentices: Manufacturing Industries

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the 100,000 apprenticeships he proposes to create he expects to be within the manufacturing sector.

John Hayes: The apprenticeship programme is demand led. Government do not set targets for apprenticeships but provides funding and forecasts the overall number of places that may be afforded. Apprenticeships are paid jobs, therefore we rely on employers and providers to work together to offer sufficient opportunities to meet local demand.
	In the last five years 180,000 people started an apprenticeship in engineering and manufacturing technologies. With current initiatives such as the expansion of advanced and higher apprenticeships, and increased funding announced in the 2011 Budget, we hope to expand this further.

Business: Recruitment

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the estimate contained in the British Chamber of Commerce Workforce Survey—Micro Businesses, that one in two micro businesses found it difficult to find the right people to fill their vacancies; and what steps he plans to take to assist such businesses.

John Hayes: holding answer 25 October 2011
	The 2009 National Employer Skills Survey identified that small businesses tend to have a higher proportion of total vacancies that are skills shortage vacancies. That is why the Department has launched a number of targeted measures to support smaller businesses to recruit new employees and up skill existing employees more easily.
	This includes improving the information and guidance for small businesses on businesslink.gov, including how to access skills support. In addition, we fund a leadership and management programme for senior leaders of small to medium size enterprises to help them develop their own personal leadership and management skills so they are better able to create a high performing, innovative workplace and to improve the skills of their work force.
	This Government are also taking action to make it easier for small businesses to take on apprenticeships. As well as increasing funding to deliver some 360,000 apprenticeships this year, the Government have introduced new quality standards, cut red tape and boosted the number of advanced level apprenticeships to deliver the skills employers need to drive growth.

Business: Regulation

Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made in reducing the burden of regulation on businesses through the Red Tape Challenge.

Vincent Cable: While some regulation is necessary, excessive regulation creates an unacceptable burden, on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in particular. The Government are tackling this problem through the Red Tape Challenge. So far this exercise has looked at 378 regulations relating to the retail and hospitality sectors and we have already announced plans to remove or simplify 220 of these—that's over half. All regulations affecting business will be featured on the website on a rolling basis.

Flexible Working

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had on his proposals for maternity and paternity leave and flexible working.

Edward Davey: The Modern Workplaces consultation ran from 16 May to 8 August 2011 It outlined the Government's proposals to introduce a system of flexible parental leave and extend the right to request flexible working to all employees, following the coalition commitments.
	During the consultation discussions were held with various groups representing business, unions, parents, children and charities. We intend to publish our response early next year.

Non-domestic Rates

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on economic growth and jobs in (a) the retail sector and (b) other sectors, if business rates are not increased in 2012.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	Business rates are annually uprated by RPI inflation. The Government keep all taxes under review.

Social Mobility

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve social mobility; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Department worked closely with the Cabinet Office and other Departments to produce the Government's Social Mobility Strategy in April 2011. This strategy set out our overall approach for tackling social mobility and provided details of the specific steps that the Department would be taking to support this.
	Investing in people's skills through education and training is a key driver of improved life chances. That is why we are committed to establishing clear career progression routes built on well-respected vocational qualifications and our expanded Apprenticeships programme is at the heart of this: funding in financial year 2011/12 will increase to over £1.4 billion; we will increase the quality of apprenticeships through new national standards; and, the Access to Apprenticeships pathway will benefit up to 10,000 vulnerable young people aged between16-24. The National Career Service, to be launched in April 2012, will help people to find the most appropriate route to suit their personal needs.
	For some people, entering the labour market and progressing can be a huge challenge and need substantial help and guidance to develop their skills acquisition and progress to sustainable employment with prospects. Our reforms to further education, published in our Skills for Sustainable Growth strategy and in the New Challenges, New Chances consultation, mean that funding of further education and training is fairer by refocusing it on those that need it most. My Department is working with DFE and DWP on the Participation Strategy, which will be published in November and set out how we intend to maximise the number of young people in education training and employment. In addition, our commitment to Informal Adult and Community Learning can provide the initial stepping stone people need to further.
	Our reforms to promote fairer access to higher education were set out in the White Paper “Students at the Heart of the System” (June 2011). To help make progress in the numbers of young people entering higher education from disadvantaged backgrounds, and in particular to the most selective universities, we are establishing a new framework, which places more responsibility on universities and colleges to widen participation. Universities and colleges that charge more than £6,000 for tuition will need new access agreements that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the independent Director of Fair Access what more they will do to attract and retain students from under-represented and disadvantaged groups. They will also need to participate in the new National Scholarship Programme from 2012 and provide matched funding.
	Further information on the specific commitments, milestones and success indicators are provided in the Social Mobility Strategy.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many letters he has received on funding for civil society organisations within his Department's area of responsibility in each month since 1 June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: I understand the hon. Member to mean civil society organisations.
	The Department does not separately identify 'civil society organisations' so therefore cannot provide a response without incurring disproportionate costs.